Boat ladder

ABSTRACT

A boat ladder adapted for mounting on the rear of a boat, for example, on the outside wall of the transom of the boat. The boat ladder comprises a substantially horizontal platform portion projecting outwardly from the boat and having side rails connected thereto while a step is pivotally mounted at the outer end of the platform and can be lowered to below the level of the platform for use, or folded upwardly and toward the boat to rest on top of the platform when not in use.

limited States Patent [1 1 [111 3,794,140 Sell Feb. 26, 1974 1 BOAT LADDER Primary Examiner--Trygve M. Blix [76] Inventor. lama E Se, RR. 3 BOX 7 7 Assistant Examiner-Stuart M. Goldstein Muncie, 1nd. 47302 [22] Filed: Feb. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 224,867

[52] US. Cl. 182/92, 114/05 R, 182/106 [51] int. C1. E06c 9/06 [58] Field of Search... 114/.5 R; 182/82, 83, 84-86,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,195,680 7/1965 Thornburg et al 182/92 3,012,626 12/1961 Marryatt 182/84 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Albert L. Jeffers; Roger M. Rickert,

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A boat ladder adapted for mounting on the rear of a boat, for example, on the outside wall of the transom of the boat. The boat ladder comprises a substantially horizontal platform portion projecting outwardly from the boat and having side rails connected thereto while a step is pivotally mounted at the outer end of the platform and can be lowered to below the level of the platform for use, or folded upwardly and toward the boat to rest on top of the platform when not in use.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BOAT LADDER The present invention relates to a boat ladder arrangement and is particularly concerned with a boat ladder arrangement adapted for detachable mounting on a boat, especially in the rear thereof, and including a platform and a step.

Boat ladders are known which are adapted for mounting on a boat, including mounting on the rear end of the boat, or transom, and some include steps or ladder arrangements whereby a swimmer or other person in the water can readily climb into the boat.

The present invention is particularly concerned with an improvement in boat ladders of the general nature referred to and including the incorporation in a boat ladder structure of a platform of substantial size which can be used, for example, as a diving platform as well as making it simpler to move from the ladder into the boat and vice versa.

In addition to the foregoing objectives, the present invention also has as an objective the provision of an arrangement of the nature referred to which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture but which is extremely strong.

A still further object is the provision of an arrangement of the nature referred to which is adapted for being readily detached from the boat.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent upon reference to the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view showing a device according to the present invention mounted on the transom of a boat and projecting rearwardly therefrom; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the device lifted from the retaining clips therefor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, brackets are provided adapted for being mounted on the rearwardly facing side of the transom of a boat, or on any other outwardly facing planar surface thereof and forming a socket into which a support plate can be introduced from above. The support plate supports a platform extending substantially horizontally therefrom and side rails are provided upstanding from the platform along the opposite side edges thereof.

Pivotally mounted on the outboard end of the platform is a pair of arms and extending between the free ends thereof is a step. The arms have one stopped position wherein they extend substantially vertically downwardly from the platform so that the step is at a substantially lower level than the platform and can be availed of by a person in the water for climbing into the boat. The arms have another stopped position wherein they extend toward the boat from the outboard end of the platform and the step rests on top of the platform in a storage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, in FIG. I, the rear end of a boat is shown with the rear wall or transom thereof indicated at 12. Fixed to the transom 12 as by bolts 14 are brackets 16, each of which has a step formed along one edge. As will be seen in FIG. 2, the brackets 16 are distributed so that the said steps therein form an upwardly opening socket adapted for receiving the edge of a mounting plate member 18.

It will be appreciated in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the mounting member, when seated in the socket formed by brackets 16, is quite firmly connected to the boat but that it can readily be lifted to disengage it from the boat for storage or transport.

The supporting back plate member 18 has integral therewith and projecting forwardly therefrom in laterally spaced relation a pair of arms 20. The arms 20 receive t'herebetween the rear end of a platform 22 and in both the rear end of the platform and arms 20 are apertures for receiving bolts 24 which fixedly connect the platform to the arms 20 and, therefore, to the supporting back plate 18.

Toward its outboard end, platform 20 widens somewhat and is formed with substantially vertically extending grooves receiving the lower ends of the curved support rails 26 which are bolted in place on the platform by bolts 28. At the rear ends, the guide rails are bolted to the outer sides of support arms 20 and which, also,

comprise vertically extending half round grooves as by bolts 30. The rearmost ones of bolts 24, as viewed in FIG. I, extend through both the rails 26 and the platform and thus serve a double purpose.

Near its extreme outboard end, platform 22 has pivotally connected thereto the spaced arms 32. Bolts or other suitable pivot means as at 34 connect the upper ends of the arms to the platform, while extending between the lower ends of the arms is a step member 36 secured in place as by pins 38 extending laterally into holes at the ends of step member 36 and through the lower ends of arms 32.

Arms 32 and step member 36 have one operative position in which they are shown in FIG. 1 and wherein the arms are substantially vertical and are prevented from any substantial amount of rearward swinging movement by the raised portions 40 on the sides of the platform 22 in which the half round grooves for receiving rails 26 are formed.

The step member 36 in end to end dimension is less than the lateral spacing between rails 26 so that the step can be folded upwardly and backwardly to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 2 when not in use.

Both the top surface of platform 22 and of step 36 are preferably formed with a knurl type surfacing, as indicated at 42, to inhibit slipping thereon.

It will readily be apparent that the platform can be used as a diving platform or for other purposes, while the step forms a convenient manner of assisting a person from getting from the water into the boat as, for example, a water skier.

The boat transom in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown as extending substantially vertically, but this portion of a boat is often inclined, especially rearwardly inclined, and in such a case, the plane of the supporting panel 18 would be inclined to the vertical. If, under those circumstances, it is desired for platform 22 to extend in a substantially horizontal direction, then the holes for bolts 24 could be adjusted in position to provide for the supporting of platform 22 in a substantially horizontal position.

The rails 26 can advantageously be formed of tubular material and arms 32 can also be formed from tubular material with the upper ends thereof flattened out to receive the bolts 34 by means of which the arms are pivotally connected to platform 22.

a nonrusting material such as aluminum or plastic, for

example, which will not deteriorate when exposed to moisture and atmosphere.

Modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for mounting on a boat to provide a platform and ladder as a boarding aid fora user moving between the boat and the surrounding water comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed platform having first and second opposed ends;

a pair of laterally spaced arms attached to said platform near the first end thereof;

means co-operating with said arms for removably attaching the platform to a boat;

a pair of guard rails along opposite sides of the platform, each said guard rail being substantially in the form of an inverted U and having downwardly extending portions near the opposite ends of the platform, one end of each guard rail engaging an arm near the first end and engaging the side of the platform near the second end and having means fixing said downwardly extending portions of the guard rails to the arm and platform respectively;

ladder means dimensioned to fit between the said guard rails and connected to the platform near the second end thereof comprising step means, a pair of rails connected to the opposite ends of the step means and extending therefrom to the platform, and means pivotably connecting the ends of the rails adjacent said platform thereto whereby said rails can extend downwardly from said platform to suspend said step means beneath the second end of the platform and can be swung upwardly and toward said arms to dispose the step means in idle position on top of said platform between the said guard rails; and

said platform including a pair of vertically grooved bosses into which one of the free ends of each guard rail fits for attachment thereto, the bosses on the platform being disposed adjacent the said ladder rails and limiting pivotal movement of the ladder means relative to the platform in one direction when the step means is disposed beneath said platform second end.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which at least said arms and said platform are cast metallic members with the upper surface of said platform and said step means being provided with slip resistant surfaces. 

1. A device for mounting on a boat to provide a platform and ladder as a boarding aid for a user moving between the boat and the surrounding water comprising: a generally horizontally disposed platform having first and second opposed ends; a pair of laterally spaced arms attached to said platform near the first end thereof; means co-operating with said arms for removably attaching the platform to a boat; a pair of guard rails along opposite sides of the platform, each said guard rail being substantially in the form of an inverted ''''U'''' and having downwardly extending portions near the opposite ends of the platform, one end of each guard rail engaging an arm near the first end and engaging the side of the platform near the second end and having means fixing said downwardly extending portions of the guard rails to the arm and platform respectively; ladder means dimensioned to fit between the said guard rails and connected to the platform near the second end thereof comprising step means, a pair of rails connected to the opposite ends of the step means and extending therefrom to the platform, and means pivotably connecting the ends of the rails adjacent said platform thereto whereby said rails can extend downwardly from said platform to suspend said step means beneath the second end of the platform and can be swung upwardly and toward said arms to dispose the step means in idle position on top of said platform between the said guard rails; and said platform including a pair of vertically grooved bosses into which one of the free ends of each guard rail fits for attachment thereto, the bosses on the platform being disposed adjacent the said ladder rails and limiting pivotal movement of the ladder means relative to the platform in one direction when the step means is disposed beneath said platform second end.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which at least said arms and said platform are cast metallic members with the upper surface of said platform and said step means being provided with slip resistant surfaces. 